Toasting machine



Aug. 19, 1941. o, HALL TOASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 1 p flIf- QZZHQVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

Aug. 19, 1941. Q HALL 2,253,027

TOASTING MACHINE I Filed Feb. 19, 1940 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 14 W W W W Ill!I -III WITNESS ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 'ross'rma MACHINE Otis Hall, Detroit, Mich. Application February19, 1940, Serial No. 319,750

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in toasting machines andespecially .is concerned with improvements in the feed mechanismthereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple device forexpeditiously controlling the feeding of slices of bread or the likeinto a toasting machine. I

An advantage of the novel and improved feed mechanism according to thisover other devices intended to accomplish substantially the same purposeis its ready adaptability to attachment to existing types of toastingmachines without requiring structural reorganization for the adaptation.

Noteworthy among the features of the novel toasting machine according tothe present invention are its simplicity and ruggedness of construction,the former suiting the device to the requirements of manufacture underconditions of mass production and the latter assuring long useful life.

Other objects, advantages and features of the new and improved toastingmachine according to the present invention will-be apparent to thoseskilled in this art during the course of the following description.

Regarded in certain of its broader aspects the novel device according tothe present invention comprises in combination with a toasting machineof the type including an endless conveyer for carrying objects to betoasted between radiant toasters, of the improvements which comprise agravity feed magazine for receiving sliced ob- Jects positionedsuperjacent the conveyer; a swinging horizontally extending platepositioned beneath the next to the lowermost slice in the magazine forpreventing delivery to the conveyer. said plate being movable intoanother position whereby discharge of sliced objects from the magazineto the conveyer is uninhibited; and means for facilitating swinging ofsaid plate as mentioned.

In order to facilitate a fuller and more complete understanding of thepresent invention a specific embodiment thereof herein illustrated willbe hereinafter described, it being clearly understood, however, that theillustrated embodiment, although presently preferred, is provided solelyby way of example of the practice of this invention and not by way oflimitation thereof except insofar as the invention is recited in thesubjoined claims.

Referring then to the drawings,

Figure 1 is substantially a vertical sectional view of the presentlypreferred embodiment of this invention showing the same adapted to useupon a conventional toasting machine,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along the line 22thereof,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a. portion of thedevice shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of Fig. 3 taken along the line 4-4thereof,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the magazine and a portion of the toastingmachine, and

Fig, 6 is substantially a perspective view of the feed control plate.

Fig. 7 illustrates the electrical interlock between the conveyer motorand the toaster elements.

In thedrawings the presently preferred em bodiment of this invention isgenerally designated by the reference character l0 and, it will benoted, comprises a hollow box-like casing ll within which are mountedfreely rotating transversely extending spaced essentially parallelrollers l2 and I3 upon which is mounted an endless conveyer ll whichcomprises a plurality of links Ha connected by pivots Ilb, each linkbeing provided with inbent object-holding members c substantially asshown. The roller I I is rotated by means including an electric motor iI which is controlled by a switch II, which switch also controls theelectric radiant toasters generally designated by the referencecharacter I! which are mounted above and below a portion of the endlessconveyer ll. As will be obvious from Fig. 7 of the drawings, neithermotor nor toasters may be operated independently ofthe other since theyare connected in parallel to the terminals of the switch It.

A magazine generally designated by the reference character l8 comprisingan essentially hollow box-like casing l8 extending vertically upwardlyfrom a central portion of the casing ll serves to receive and storesliced material designated by the reference character A which is free tofeed by means of gravity through the open bottom of the casing onto thesupport bails I9 extending thereunder essentially as shown in Fig. 3.-It is to be noted that the balls I! are positioned with relation to theendless conveyer It in a manner such that parts of the links Ha willstrike against the lowermost 'slice supported on the balls and will movethe same therefrom onto the conveyer substantially-as is shown inphantom in Fig. 3.

A vertically extending shaft 20, Journaled in an opening formed in thetop iBa of the casing it formed integrally with the bottom portion oithe casing, is reduced at its bottom end "a and carries rigidly attachedthereto a horizontally ex tending plate II having a pointed cornerportion Ila formed for facilitating swinging of the plate between thelowermost and next lowermost slice resting upon the balls It. A handle22 is provided upon the upper end of the shaft 20 and serves tofacilitate oscillation of the shaft whereby the plate 2| can uponoccasion be moved into supporting position beneath the next to thelowermost slice in the magazine or, upon occasion, movable into anotherposition whereby discharge of sliced objects from the magazine onto theconveyer is uninhibited. The first position of the plate is illustratedin full view in Fig. 4 and the second position is shown in the samefigure in phantom.

As will be obvious to those skilled in this art from an inspection oithe drawings the toaster proper functions in the conventional mannermoving the sliced object received from the magazine between the radianttoasters l1 and discharging the toasted objects from the conveyer llthrough the discharge opening Ila formed in the casing l l. I i

It is to be understood that this invention is capable of extendedapplication and is not coniined to the precise illustrated forms nordescribed construction and, therefore, such changes and modificationsmay be made therein as do not aiIect the spirit oi the invention norexceed the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what it is desired tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with an endless conveyor for conveying objects,comprising a magazine for receiving approximately flat superimposed ob-Jects and having its lower end spaced slightly above the endlessconveyor, downwardly extending bails below the lower end of the magazineand adapted to receive and support one of the objects contained in themagazine, means ior delivering the lowermost object in the magazine tothe bails, and means carried by the endless conveyor and extendingbetween the bails for removing the object thereon and allowing it todrop on the conveyor.

2. The combination with an endless conveyor for conveying objects,comprising a, magazine for receiving approximately fiat superimposedobjects and having its lower and spaced slightly above the endlessconveyor, downwardly extending bails below the lower end of the magazineand adapted to receive the lowermost object contained in the magazine, ahorizontally swinging plate mounted near the bottom of the magazine andadapted to swing beneath the next to the lowermost object in themagazine, and means carried by the endless conveyor and extendingbetween the bails for moving the lowermost object in the magazine fromabove the balls and allowing them to drop on the conveyor.

3. The combination with an endless conveyor for conveying objects,comprising a magazine for receiving approximately fiat superimposedobjects and having its lower end spaced slightly above the endlessconveyor, downwardly extending bails below the lower end of the magazineand adapted to receive the lowermost object in the magazine, ahorizontally swinging plate mounted near the bottom oi the magazine andadapted to swing beneath the next to the lowermost object in themagazine, and extensions carried by the endless conveyor and extendingbetween the balls for moving the lowermost object in the magazine fromabove the balls and allowing them to drop on the conveyor.

4. The combination with an endless conveyor for conveying objects,comprising a magazine for receiving slices of bread superimposed andhaving its lower end spaced above the endless conveyor, downwardlyextending bails carried by the opposite sides of the magazine and havinginwardly turned ends below a portion of the magazine, a horizontallyswinging plate mounted near the bottom of the magazine and adapted toswing beneath the next to the last slice of bread in the magazine beyondthe balls, and transverse vertically disposed plates carried by theendless conveyor between the bails for moving the lowermost slice in themagazine from above the bail and allowing the slice above the balls todrop thereon.

OTIS HALL.

